In general, since a car engine cannot start on its own, a crankshaft has to be turned by an external force to rotate the engine by causing an initial explosive combustion in a cylinder. A starting device is used to turn the crankshaft of the engine. Such a starting device includes a starter that generates a torque for cranking of the engine and a battery used to supply driving power to the starter. The starter includes a magnetic switch unit, an armature assembly, an overrunning clutch (ORC) for transferring a driving force of the armature assembly to the crankshaft of the engine and an armature assembly, a gear assembly for torque conversion by reductions of speeds of the revolution per minute (RPM) of a rotating armature and an ORC that is gear-coupled to ring gears of the engine and transfers power to the starter.
The above-described technical configuration is a background art for helping understanding of the present invention and does not indicate a well-known conventional art in the art to which the present invention belongs. The starter is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1111546.
In a conventional starter, a problem is that a gap may be formed due to a deformation of a membrane provided to seal a gap between a case and a plunger that makes reciprocating motions relative to the case. Thus, an improvement is needed for the problem.
The present invention is directed to providing a gasket that can enhance the durability of a membrane by insert injection molding a hard membrane washer into the membrane having flexibility, to a magnetic switch of a starter including the gasket, and to a starter including the magnetic switch.
The present invention is also directed to providing a gasket that can enhance a sealing ability and a waterproofing performance by enabling a bellows of a membrane to be firmly fixed to a plunger by inserting the bellows of the membrane into the plunger and can enhance an assembly performance by enabling assembly through an automatic production line, to a magnetic switch of a starter including the gasket, and to a starter including the magnetic switch.
One aspect of the present invention provides a gasket of a starter for starting an engine of a vehicle, the gasket including: a membrane which carries out a sealing function and is made of a resin material having flexibility; and a membrane washer provided along an edge of the membrane in order to prevent bending of the membrane, wherein the membrane and the membrane washer may be insert injected. Thus, the number of components of the gasket is reduced, and the membrane is hardened so that durability is enhanced.
The membrane may include: a rim member supported at the membrane washer; and a bellows provided inside of the rim member and formed to be wrinkled. Thus, the membrane may harden only the rim member so that a soft state of the bellows may be maintained. The membrane may be formed to expose the membrane washer at one side and may form support ribs to prevent separation of the membrane washer at one side.
Thus, the membrane washer is exposed at one side of the membrane so that an increase in the thickness of the rim member of the membrane may be minimized, and the position of exposure of the membrane washer may be fixed using support ribs. The membrane washer may form bent ribs so as to prevent from being separated from the membrane. The membrane washer forms the bent ribs so that the injected membrane is united with the bent ribs and is prevented from being arbitrarily separated from the membrane washer.
The membrane washer may form accommodation hole portions that accommodate a part of the membrane to prevent being separated from the membrane. The membrane washer forms the accommodation hole portions so that the injected membrane is filled in the accommodation hole portions and is united therewith and thus is prevented from being arbitrarily separated from the membrane washer.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a magnetic switch of a starter for starting an engine of a vehicle, the magnetic switch including: a case; a plunger provided to make reciprocating motions along an axial direction of the case; a gasket that seals a gap between the case and the plunger; and a fixing unit that prevents the gasket supported at the case from escaping in an axial direction of the plunger. Thus, the gasket may be easily assembled to be fixed to the plunger by the fixing unit.
The gasket may include: a membrane which carries out a sealing function for sealing a gap between the case and the plunger, is made of a resin material having flexibility, and forms an insertion hole for inserting the plunger; and a membrane washer provided along the edge of the membrane to prevent bending of the membrane, and the membrane and the membrane washer may be insert injected. Thus, the number of components of the gasket is reduced, and the membrane is hardened so that durability is enhanced.
The fixing unit may include: a fit groove portion formed on a perimeter surface of the plunger; and a fit protrusion protruding along inside of the membrane and inserted into the fit groove portion. As the fixing unit includes the fit groove portion and the fit protrusion, the membrane is simply inserted into the plunger and is naturally fixed and mounted.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a starter for starting an engine of a vehicle, the starter including: a front bracket; and a magnetic switch in which a case enables the front bracket for accommodating the gasket to be separably coupled, wherein a deformation of the gasket may be prevented by a deformation prevention unit. When the front bracket is assembled with the case, a deformation of the gasket is prevented by a deformation prevention unit.
The deformation prevention unit may include: a position setting protrusion extending from an edge of the gasket; and a position setting groove portion formed in the front bracket to accommodate the position setting protrusion. While the position setting groove portion accommodates the position setting protrusion, the front bracket is assembled with the case so that a deformation of the gasket is prevented.
As described above, a gasket, a magnetic switch of a starter including the gasket, and a starter including the magnetic switch can enhance the durability of a membrane by insert injection molding a hard membrane washer into the membrane having flexibility, unlike in the conventional art.
Furthermore, the present invention can enhance a sealing ability and a waterproofing performance by enabling a bellows of the membrane to be firmly fixed to a plunger by inserting the bellows of the membrane into the plunger and can enhance an assembly performance through an automatic production line.